Judge George Smith alarmed that there is a third war that Liberians are yet to defeat and that is the littering of plastic bags and other dirt in the environment.
Plastic pollution is one of the many sanitation problems affecting Liberia in all sectors of life and the Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in River Gee County, George W. Smith, highlighted the issue of sanitation.
In his court’s opening charge for the May 2024 A.D. term of court on May 13, 2024, he said Liberia has defeated two viruses namely; Ebola and COVID-19, yet failed miserably to defeat plastic war in Liberia.
“During the May 2023 Term of Court at the 8th Judicial Circuit of Nimba County, I mentioned again this 3rd war in my charge. Consistent with the Government’s ARREST, I hereby adopt my May 2023 Judge’s Charge as follows:
“When EBOLA and COVID-19 invaded this country and waged wars on us, we showed patriotism, honor and duty to our country and therefore we won those wars” but, Unfortunately, we are yet to defeat one war that is continuously being waged on us a war that continues to affect our health and even sometimes takes our lives, destroys properties, besmears and degrades the environmental beauty of our beloved Country,” the River Gee County Judge maintained.
“Our Public Health Law, the Environment Sanitation provisions thereof, and the City Ordinances prohibit the disposal of plastic bags and dirt in the streets, gutters, drains and all public and 1 private places. Violation of this law and the City Ordinances is punishable by fines up to imprisonment,” the Judge noted.
“The Legislature has set the stage by providing their contingent of soldiers, through direct and dedicated (City Ordinances) legislations to battle against the war plastic bags and dirt have waged on us. The Executive and Judiciary must provide their combatants by prosecuting and punishing those who violate our Environment Sanitation Law and City Ordinances.
“Generally the courts do not go outside looking for cases to judge. It is therefore the Executive that must prosecute violators in court. Though the courts do not look for cases to decide, however, since this war is against all including members of the Judiciary, the courts have direct stake in this deadly war.
Therefore, the Supreme Court of Liberia has availed a continent of soldiers, our magistrates, on the war front to fight the war against the littering of plastic bags and dirt in our environment.
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority and power granted to the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia by Article 75 of our Constitution to promulgate rules of courts, the Supreme Court has mandated in Rule 6, Rules and Regulations for the Governance of the Magistrate and Traffic Courts, as follows: ‘Any Justice of the Peace or Magistrate exercising functions within the limits of cities, towns, and commonwealth districts are vested with jurisdiction over cases, arising under the Sanitary Act of December 19, 1930, as amended, and the City Ordinances.
According to Judge Smith, Justice of the Peace or Magistrate shall set aside Monday in every week for the trial of all cases arising out of the Sanitary Act and City Ordinances issued from time to time. Such trials shall be summary and judgments shall be rendered and enforced without delay.’ “I therefore charge the local and municipal governments and law enforcement departments to cause the arrest and prosecution in the magistrate courts violators of our Environmental Sanitation Law and City Ordinances.”
Judge Smith disclosed that magistrates are charged to ‘set aside Mondays of every week for the trials of all cases arising out of the Sanitary Act and City Ordinances issued from time to time…’
“In order for us to prevail in this war, as we did during the EBOLA and COVID-19 wars, the government, that is the Legislature and Executive, must provide the funding and logistics to battle this dangerous war, the littering of plastic bags and dirt in the streets, gutters, drains, public and private places,” Judge Smith recommended.
“Also, it is high time that city mayors of Liberia travel abroad to seek technical and logistical assistance from their foreign counterparts, donors and friends of Liberia to fight against this deadly war. It is the civic duty and obligation of all citizens and those residing in Liberia to combat the war of littering of plastic bags and dirt in our Country” Judge Smith concluded.
